Time
by Angelgirl18647
Summary: HAPPY B-DAY AKI! here's your birthday fic. Sakura goes over the time that naruto and sasuke has been gone and how time changes us all. sorry it's not a ino/shika fic aki I couldn't write one. THERE'S A SUPRISE AT THE END,IF U READ PRINCE U SEE THE END


Angel: IT'S THE SECOND GREATEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

Aki: NAH-NUH IT'S THE FIRST!

Angel: SECOND!

Aki: FIRST!

Angel: SECOND

Aki: FIRST!

Namine: WTF ARE YOU PEOPLE ARGUING ABOUT ANYWAY!

Aki: IT'S MY...

Angel: TO THE END NOTE! -grabs Nam and Aki and poofs to the bottom of the page-

Time

Three Years.

That's how long it's been since they left. Three years after Sasuke betrayed all of us for power. I still have his picture on my night stand. I don't know why but unlike the rest of Kohona I can't seem to be able to just put it away. It hard to believe that the village wasn't angrier at Sasuke for leaving. Some said they saw it coming. I don't believe them though. If Naruto and I, his teammates and best friends, couldn't see this coming then there's no way that some one else could.

_Naruto._

I wonder what he's doing right now. It's been three years already so why isn't he home already. Jiarya said his training would be only three years and that the time would fly by.

It didn't.

Even with my training with Lady Tsunade, the days seemed to slow down to the pace of a snail without him here. Mainly the day after he left, I guess his leaving didn't really set in until I went to the ramen stand with Hinata only to find it empty. He was always there eating his weight in ramen but the resturant was quiet. I don't think I've ever heard the famous stand ever so quiet.

I miss Naruto's disgusting yet funny ways of eating ramen.

Kohona just isn't the same without those two. It's too quiet without their loud agruments and it's actually quite dull without Naruto raising some kind of trouble. Kohonamaru is trying to follow in hs troublemaking footsteps but it just isn't the same. Most of his plans actually work! Unlike Naruto who's plans were always ended up nipping him in the butt.

I miss Naruto's stupid ways.

I don't know why I think about him so much now a days. Maybe it's because unlike Sasuke I don't know if he's safe or not. Even though he left and is a missing nin, Sasuke, is with Orochimaru who can't hurt or kill him until he gets his body. Even though that's not really safe I know that he's alive and that's good enough for now. Naruto however is a different story. He promised to write to me so I would know that he was ok and he did.

For the first year.

The messages have completely stopped and that's scaring me. I know he's safe with Jiraya, but I can't help but worry. Jiraya isn't one of the most trustworthy guys afterall. What if he was conducting "research" leaving Naruto all alone and he was attacked by the Akastki or someone!? I can't stand not knowing.

I miss Naruto's messages.

I hate time.

Time is the reason this is so painful. So many things have changed over the years. Heck, I've changed alot over the years. Atleast I think I have. I over hear the villagers talking about how they don't even recognize me anymore, so I think I have changed. I'm stronger, faster and no longer useless on missions, but I haven't just changed physically. I've changed mentally as well. I'm smarter, I express myself more and I'm beginning to understand some of the reasons on why Sasuke left. I don't agree with them, infact it still hurts to think that he would leave behind everything to go after his brother. They say time heals all wounds.

I think it might.

It's been three years and I can still feel the hole in my heart that Sasuke left me. The thing is that, I feel it getting smaller. It's weird, but the sharp, jagged edges of the wound he left in my heart seem to be healing. I don't know what's healing it though. It might be time but I'm not sure. It's only been three years and I know that as soon as Naruto returns, I will not say if he does like many people are, that the worst will be horizen. I know that we'll have to save Sasuke which would mean seeing him again. Can my wounded heart handle that though?

I hope so.

" Sakura you ok?" Tsunade asks me snapping me out of my daze

" Oi, yah " I mumbled

" Go home, Sakura you look beat " Tsunade told me in a stern voice. I know there's no point in arguing

" Ok " I say gathering my books and exiting out of the Hokage's office. I walk down the streets of Kohona, going through the books that I checked out of the Kohona Library.I see the poetry book I checked out of the library last week. I don't know why I did, it just sorta jumped out at me. I open the book to a random page and looked at a random poem called " Time "

( You laugh at my sad try at poetry, I swear I'll ki...no wait I can't say that, FANFICTION WILL FREAKING BLOCK ME FOR A WEEK AGAIN IF I DO! I didn't mean to cuss that girl out she was just getting on my nerves! ok I won't say I'll kill you, you'll just...disappear. HA CAN'T REPORT THAT NOW CAN YA!? )

_Time is a funny thing_

_It rushes by us at the same pace everyday_

_It never rushes_

_It never slows down, it's like a clock, aways regural_

_But it never seems that way_

_It aways seems to be rushing on the days our heads our in the clouds_

_But it seems to slow to the pace of a snail when we're waiting for something_

_Time is funny that way_

_Its speed is all in our minds_

_Time waits for no man,_

_nor does it speed up_

_A watched pot never boils_

_and a fun night aways goes by so quickly_

_I say, it's not the time but how we spend it_

_So get up and get out_

_Sitting on your butt won't get you anywhere_

_Get up and make a difference_

_Time is pasting you by_

I stared at the poem and sighed. This poet got the whole time thing concept right.

Time always seems slow when we need it to speed up. Along with it's speed there's one thing this poet left out.

Time changes all of us.

Once upon a time, Sasuke was an innocent school boy with a family. Once Naruto was a troublemaking prankster with no future as a ninja in sight. I used to be a weak, helpless and always needed to be saved little girl.

I can't help but think about the way we once were. Just little genin, not knowing anything and just barely getting by with easy missions. I giggle as I remember the good old days. I think I can say that that was the best year of my life. Life was clear and bright when Sasuke was here. Old team seven was called the next sanin, now we're each being trained by one. I wonder what would have happened if Sasuke never left. Would I still be the same person I was three years ago? I wonder what Sasuke and Naruto are doing right now?

_Sasuke-kun?_

_Naruto-kun?_

* * *

Where are you two? Time is killing me

Angel: Meh, I don't really how to critize this one. What do you think, Nam?

Nam: WHAT DID I FORGET!?

Aki: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY YOU!?

Angel: -pulls out a cake- HAPPY -insert aki's age here, I know it cause I guessed and I WAS RIGHT! by the way just for a warning, in 6 months I'll have my drivers permit, I WILL BE SEMI-STREET LEGAL! Be very afraid- BIRTHDAY! Wow your birthday is one day before my friends Taylor's birthday. weird. AND HERE'S YOUR GIFT!

Aki: Wasn't this story my gift?

Angel: NOPE CAUSE IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY YOU AND THE REST OF THE WORLD GET A SNEAK PREVIEW OF A PRINCE AND A SERVANT!

Aki: YAY!

* * *

Sneak Preview Time

" Neji, do you love me? "

Neji sat in silence. The words hit him like a semi-truck. Before he loved no-one, then Hinata and Hanabi somehow managed into his heart. Seeing their lives cut short or destoried was one of the worst experiences ever. Tenten was his only help out of the darkest times in his life. Now she wanted to know if he loved her?

" Such feelings like that only cause pain and heartbreak. " Neji said looking away from her eyes. He knew that if he looked into those eyes that he could never keep a straight face.

" Neji, it wasn't your fault! " Tenten shouted

" YES IT WAS! If I wasn't so busy with you then maybe I would have been there to warn her, to stop her. Maybe she would still be alive " Neji growled still not looking at her

" Neji you can't live in the past. People make mistakes you should move on " Tenten said

" BUT MOST PEOPLE'S MISTAKES DON'T COST THEM THEIR COUSIN'S LIFE!" Neji shouted " Everyday I wonder what could have happened if I had warned them. Would they have stayied behind or would they leave anyway? "

" Neji you can't keep living in the past, what happened is done, and you can't change the mistakes you made " Tetnen says

" Yes my mistake lead to the death of my cousin and the other cousin to be kidnapped, because I couldn't protect them "

" If you wanted to protect her so much how come you came back to say goodbye " Tenten asked tears forming in her eyes

" I'm sorry Tenten " Neji mumbled walking away from tenten not even looking back. He walked up the stone steps of the dugeon and just as he opened up the door he took a look behind him. Even in the darkness he could see the tears rolling down her face. Turning away from her he felt his heart drop. He didn't want to leave her but he had to confront Temari first before even thinking of saving the girls. It was the smart thing to do, but his heart said otherwise.

* * *

End of Sneak Preview

Angel: WOOT PRINCE IS GONNA ROCK!

Namine: HAPPY B-DAY AKI!

Aki: NOW YOU REMEMBER?


End file.
